Bred by General
Sparrow, he was sold to the Prince of Wales as a three-year old. Described
as a horse of great quality and majesty, he was given to Colonel Leigh at
the dispersal of the Prince's stable. His dam Alexander Mare
(b f 1790) was the modern taproot mare of
Family
2-n, and produced Castrel (ch c 1801), the Oaks winner Bronze (br f
1803), and the Champion Sire Rubens (ch c 1805).
He won six races at all distances, including the Craven
Stakes and the Newmarket Oatlands Stakes.

Selim went to stud in
1809 at Six-Mile Bottom, near Newmarket, for a fee of 10gs.
In 1810 he moved to Newmarket commanding a fee of 20gs and
remained there until 1819 although in later later years his
fee declined to 10gs. From 1820 onwards he covered at
Oxcroft, near Newmarket, first for 12gs then for 10gs. In
1825 he was advertised to stand at Bildeston, near Hadleigh,
Suffolk, for 30gs but was unable to cover.

In 1808 Selim
running for Mr Arthur Shakespeare won a 200gs match
at Newmarket Craven, beating Lydia (b f 1802
Whiskey).
Lost a 200gs match at Newmarket Second Spring to the
Duke of York's Tim (gr c 1803 Whiskey) who was carrying "a
feather".
Lost a 200gs match at Newmarket First October to
Lord Grosvenor's celebrated Violante (b f 1802 John
Bull). This was his final race.

Notable Offspring

Medora (GB)

ch f 1811 (Selim - Mare, by Sir Harry). Sire Line Selim.
Family 4-l. Bred by
Colonel Adeane, she was sold as a yearling to the Duke of
Rutland. She was unplaced for the Two Thousand Guineas and ran
third for the One Thousand Guineas, however she won the Oaks
Stakes beating the Duke of Grafton's Vestal (br f 1811
Walton) and the Duke of
Grafton's Wire (br f 1811 Waxy) along
with six others. The same year she won the Windsor Forest Stakes
and the Billingbear Stakes at Ascot. She won one race at four,
after which she was sold to Mr T Cussans. At five she ran
without success other than collecting a forfeit. In the stud she
produced the Duke of Richmond's Oaks winner Gulnare (b f 1824
Smolensko). Her portrait was said to be taken from a fine
painting by Sartorius when she was carrying Pucelle (ch f 1821
Muley).

Turquoise (GB)

br f 1825 (Selim - Pope Joan, by Waxy).
Sire Line Selim.
Family 1-e. Bred by the
Duke of Grafton, she won a 200 sovs match from Mr Payne's
Whalebone filly and a Fifty at Newmarket prior to her win in the
Oaks Stakes. In the latter she defeated Mr Rawlinson's Ruby by
nearly two lengths, Trampoline, Sir J Shelley's Rosalia and ten
others. She won several more Fifties that year. At four she won
a couple of Fifties and a King's Plate at Chemlsford in a walk
over. She ran once more the next year without success. She
joined the stud at Euston and produced the Ascot Stakes winner
Marchioness (ch f 1836 Merchant) and the Criterion Stakes winner
Jericho (br c 1842 Jerry).